Demo Time: From passion project to a sustainable future

It started with a simple frustration: demos are meant to fail. We’ve all been there. You’re on stage, the pressure is on, and suddenly you make a typo, or you forget a step. I wanted to fix that. I wanted to create a tool that would let me script my demos/presentations so I could focus on the story, not the typing.

That’s how Demo Time was born in 2023.

Fast forward to today, and the project has grown beyond my expectations. I’ve seen it used at OpenAI DevDays, Microsoft Ignite, and GitHub Universe. With over 26,000 installs, it’s an incredible feeling to see the community embrace a tool I poured my free time into. At ESPC, there were eight sessions using Demo Time, apart from my own.

Don’t get me wrong, with this success comes a challenge. How do I keep supporting, innovating, and growing the project when the demands start to exceed the hours I have available?

In this post, I want to share the next chapter for Demo Time and my plan to build a sustainable future for the tool.

The problem: demos are meant to fail

The original idea was simple. By scripting every action, from file creation to code highlights and terminal commands. You can present without the stress. The core tool achieved this, and the adoption proved that I wasn’t the only one struggling with this.

The next chapter: building a sustainable ecosystem

The feedback has been amazing so far, but it also signals a need for more. More support, more features, and more time. To make that happen, I’m exploring several monetization avenues. This will allow me to invest back into the project while ensuring the core extension remains free and open-source forever.

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Here are some of the ideas I’m currently working on.

1. Demo Time cloud: seamless remote control

Right now, you need a local server and a tunnel service like ngrok to connect your phone or tablet when you want to use the Remote Control feature. I must admit, it can be a bit cumbersome.

The solution I’m building is a cloud-based remote control service. Think of it as a subscription service that removes the friction. You get an API key, and the remote just works. Securely and reliably, from anywhere.

2. Demo Time as a service: automated demo creation

This is a bigger idea I’m developing with Andrew Connell. We’ve noticed how much time companies invest in creating high-quality demos. What if we could shrink that time from days to hours?

Demo Time as a Service aims to do just that. The concept is simple:

1. You build the final version of your solution on your machine.
2. You create structured commits following a defined pattern.
3. You upload your project to our service.
4. The service analyzes your commits and automatically generates a polished Demo Time script.

This turns your development process into the blueprint for the demo.

3. Building partnerships through sponsorship

I’m also opening up sponsorship opportunities. The goal here is twofold. First, the financial support helps me dedicate more time to the product. Second, it’s about building an ecosystem of trusted partners.

By having companies that rely on Demo Time invest in its future, we can create a collaborative loop of feedback and feature ideas.

4. Support, consulting, themes, and templates

Finally, I’m exploring offering premium support and consulting services. Whether it’s helping teams get started with Demo Time, creating custom themes, or building tailored templates, this could be a way to provide additional value to users while generating revenue.

The vision for tomorrow

If these initiatives work out, here is what the future of Demo Time could look like:

• Better support: Faster response times for your questions and issues.
• New features: The resources to build the complex features you’ve been asking for.
• Richer content: More tutorials and guides to help you get the most out of the tool.
• A stronger team: The ability to bring on help to accelerate development.

This is a new and exciting step for Demo Time, and I’d love to build it with you. Let me know what you think. What appeals to you? What are your concerns? Join the discussion on GitHub Discussions - Demo Time Monetization: Exploring Sustainable Options.

Let’s shape the future of this product together.